Unfortunately,
there wasn’t a post-game tailgate to discuss this debacle…Weather and a fear
that I had caught pneumonia from the monsoon prevented the crew from hanging
around…
The Numbers:
Brady Joke through 31 games: 24-7
Jim Harbaugh through 31 games: 24-7
For comparison's sake
over a five-game start vs. Michigan State and Ohio State: Lloyd Carr started
4-1, Gary Moeller started 4-1, Bo Schembechler started 3-2. Only Rich Rodriguez
(0-5) has started worse.
Harbaugh's reaction to this?
"I don't know," he said. "We're bowing our necks,
getting ready for the next game. That's our reaction."
The Play Calling (the
Angel – Angelique Chengelis):
Harbaugh recently said that offensive
coordinator Tim Drevno and pass-game coordinator Pep Hamilton call the plays,
and he’s third in that chain. But the head coach ultimately signs off on the
play-call. Lots of blame to go around here on that matter, but let’s be honest
— this was not the first time this season Michigan’s play-calling has had to be
questioned. Remember not long ago, the first three games of the season when the
Wolverines had one touchdown in 10 red-zone trips? Quarterback Wilton Speight,
now injured and sidelined, took criticism, but a quarterback can only do so
much when the plays do not seem inventive enough to put them in potentially
successful situations.
The MMQ
I really don’t
know what to say or feel at this point about Michigan’s Offense and Jimmy
Harbaugh in general. A serviceable
offense – one that can run off-tackle and gain a 1st down would be
something that’s a given in your 3rd year. The Honeymoon is over. It’s a marriage now and marriages have their
ups and downs. But you don’t give up on
each other. That being said, I’m
tired of making excuses for the head coach. It must come to an end soon. I’m not giving up on him, I’m
just saying that he has to adjust – and soon.
However, I will
say this: Growing up, I lived and
breathed Michigan Football. I believed
Michigan as 2nd to none.
That’s an attitude.
Bo Schembechler was a 2nd father to me. And when I finally made into the “Greatest University In the Land”, my freshmen year, Harbaugh broke his arm against Sparty and Michigan finished 6-6, losing a bowl game, to the disbelief of everyone associated with the program, to BYU. To some kid named Robbie Bosco at QB, who had taken over for Steve Young. But better things happened the following seasons. Good things. It takes time…
The
Details
Michigan’s Offensive line
is exactly that – Offensive.
When you can’t block 4 guys using 5 guys,
that’s a problem. I don’t think – and again,
I haven’t seen the replay yet, I don’t think Sparty ever rushed more than 4 on
1st and 2nd down.
And they were getting to O’Korn.
That’s a major problem. Ulizio
got pulled in the 2nd half for Beatty, and that didn’t improve
ANYTHING (Right Tackle). And he
should have been pulled. It’s almost
like there’s no one that has a clue as to how to play on the offensive line…
5 turn-overs
don’t help either. The crippling one
being the fumble after the completion late in the 1st half by McKeon
was absolutely devastating. I turned to
my daughter and stated, “that could be the game – RIGHT THERE!”
You simply can’t
turn the ball over. That is the worst
sin of anything you can do in a football game.
Woody Hayes threw kids out of practice for fumbling the football. He kicked kids off the team for fumbling the
football in a game. There is some logic
and reasoning to that attitude…
And I’m going
to add to Angel’s take on the play-calling:
Something, ANYTHING, has to change.
She talked about the 2nd half where Michigan was
actually able to run the ball. The penultimate
drive in the 4th quarter saw 4 or 5 plays where Michigan ran
the ball effectively for more than 5 yards on each play. Then, in a driving rain, Michigan called
three consecutive pass plays? Really? But I want to go back to the 1st
half when Michigan had an opportunity to pass or call unexpected plays but
continuously and unsuccessfully ran into the heart of Sparty’s D. What were you thinking?
OK – All THAT being said –
Are you ready for this? All is not lost.
Believe it or not, Michigan can still pull this off, but the road just
got a lot rougher and steeper.
There can be NO SLIP-UPS and NO MISTAKES from this point forward.
I hear you all laughing. I’m saying that this thing can still be
turned around. It can. Defense wins…
I don’t feel
very good this AM and I didn’t feel good yesterday, either. Especially when the Tweet hit that Speight
was out for the season with 3 broken vertebrae.
That’s not good. O’korn is your guy. This horrendous offensive line is what we
have to work with..
.
.
However, I’m a
fan and will find reasons to stay with this team – through good and bad.
The
Rest of the Mess
YHMA
– You Have My Attention
Alabama: I’ve
avoided talking about these guys as were eventually going to have to
talk about them A LOT. And I get annoyed
that every off-season all we do is talk Bama and Satan. And during the season everyone talks about
Bama. So yeah, it gets a little
boring. And now, they’re even referring to
themselves as being dominant and the Death Star of the SEC.
I wonder if
there’s a small exhaust port on this Death Star that a small fighter can drop a
bomb into?
NC State: Won in very convincing fashion on Thursday night by more or less controlling Jackson and taking care of the ball on offense. And I really liked – nay, I LOVED the NC State Student Section trolling the Louisville players with the chant of “FBI” in the 4th quarter.
(You’ll have to
follow the link – I couldn’t figure out a way to embed) Peeking ahead, NC State has Pitt and then
goes up to Domerland. Interesting
fact: The Domers will be coming
off an emotional game against USC, ripe for an upset either way (win or lose). Can the Wolfpack go into South Bend and
surprise them and be that sleeper team that nobody saw coming?
CUD
– Complete, Unmitigated Disasters!!!
In addition to Michigan...
Louisville: Louisville has had, probably, one
of the worst months in collegiate athletics history. I really can’t think of another, save Michigan
Basketball with respect to Ed Martin in early 1999 and the 2000 Football
Season. Still, that spanned 18 months. Everything happened to Louisville in a
WEEK!!! They’ve lost
their head B-Ball Coach, are on NCAA probation in hoops, under an FBI scandal,
and now Petrino and company have two conference losses to Clemson and
NC State (see above) more or less eliminating them from any CFP discussion. If there’s a MAXIMUM Misery score,
Louisville fans have to be pretty close – kind of where Michigan fans were during the
end of Brandictator’s tenure…
Oklahoma: Only in College Football can you go from being the
team that everyone looks at and says, “Hey!
You’re going to be in the CFP!” to “GOD!
Do you guys ever suck…” Oklahoma lost a game where they were 31 point
favorites and is the only thing keeping Michigan from being the biggest
disaster of the weekend. Again,
The Laters are not out of anything and have one of the best wins of the season
by upsetting the Suckeyes, but Perfection is a must form this point forward.
Gophers: Losing to Purdon’t is kind of like…well,
losing to Sparty, I guess.
Purdon’t is no longer the laughingstock of the B1G West. That goes to Illinois, which…I dunno’
anymore. You can still be a spoiler, which
is always nice.
Cornhuskers: The Riley Firing is eminent. Unfortunately, there is worse
misery than Michigan fans are experiencing and that is the 3rd year
of Riley’s tenure in Lincoln. Losing to
Wiscy is bad. Being un-competitive in
the loss is worse…
Arkansas: If Jeff Long wasn’t the AD, Bielema would
already be gone…..
CBOTL
– Come Back Off the Ledge
These are losses that looked bad, but there’s no reason to
panic and sell the season duckets yet.
Wake
Forest: Dear
Demon Deacons: It’s only a loss to the #2 Team in the COUNTRY! You hung with them (better than the FMQ
thought you would) and you have a lot of season left.
Utah: First loss of the season to a Stanford team
that technically should be ranked in the top 25 (rather, I should say,
Statistically). Keep plugging away in
the Pac 12 and everything will work out.
PGL
– Pretty Good Loss
Gatorland: I had a feeling that LSU wasn’t going to lay
down. Florida
and Michigan are living parallel lives.
This loss hurt, but Florida can still make SEC noise. Should be easier now that there’s a “no
worries” attitude and play every game with your hair on fire.
WWB
– We Won, But…We Should Be Worried
Sparty: You suck.
Plain and simple. You just “Sucked
Less” than Michigan. .
Bama: If Michigan hadn’t lost, I would be eating
this up. Texas A&M gave you
a game and exposed your defense.
Unfortunately, your offense has improved.
Clemson: You were a 28 point favorite to a team school
that’s know for Hoops. Be Worried…
And
the Rest…
Miami
vs. FSU: Don’t
look now, but the Canes are 4-0 with a victory over a resurging Seminoles
team. I’m not sure how the ACC shakes
out at this point, but Richy Richt is going to have a say in it!
Virginai
Tech vs. BC: Va Tech
takes care of business. See Miami for a
reference to Va-Tech having a say in the ACC.
Domers
vs. UNC: As
much as this pains me... The
Domers still have a voice in the CFP due to the fact that Georgia is taking
care of business in the SEC. Let’s see
what happens this week vs. USC.
The 5 Stages
of Slappy Fan Grief
- Denial and Isolation –Michigan. Win the rest, and everything
will be fine!
- ANGER –Michigan I
can’t believe how sick and tired the fanbase is with a #1 in the country
defense and an offense that can’t run their way out of a wet paper bag.
- Bargaining –Michigan… The
season can be salvaged with a win over PSU and the suckeyes...
- Depression –Michigan...Hasn’t
beaten Sparty at Home since 2012
- Acceptance
–
Michigan. How has it come to this? How does Michigan not have an offense
under a coach that created an offense under Kapernick that got to the
Super Bowl?
Ref
Rants!
The holding call on what would have been a TD for Michigan
late in the first half. I don’t know
what that ref was looking at, but it clearly was NOT holding…
Idle
Thoughts from Saturday
-Gorgeous morning and afternoon on Saturday.
-Should have been a 3:30 kick
-Lots of Tailgate Action!
-Jim G even stopped by!
-Jim G even stopped by!
-Penn State looked extremely efficient against the kitty
kats
-They are undoubtedly the best in the B1G right now.
-I know. I saw the
Suckeyes score.
-Maryland doesn’t have a QB
-And the Suckeyes like to run it up.
-Wait until they play somebody good again
-“Pitino will have a another College job in 2 years!”
-God, I hope not.
NCAA needs to act quickly here.
-Glad Michigan has Beilein
-Uh-Oh. The Laters
LOST!
-To Iowa State!
-As 31 point Favorites!
-I remember having a sense of relief as the “Big
Upset” had already happened.
-And everyone else would wake up and it would be business
as usual.
-When is it ever business as usual in the Big
House?
-Against Sparty?
-I hate Dantonio….
-I mean, I really HATE HIM
-I wish Sparty would go back under their rock and focus on
hoops…
-Bad Omens:
Virgins at the game, honoring the 1997 National Champs, and 1st
ever night game…
-I was trying to ignore all of that…
-Didn’t help.
-Why are we trying to run the ball?
-We don’t have an offensive line!
-Screens and trickery are required.
-Kind of like what Sparty did on their second TD
-Beautifully set up.
-You could tell they worked on that play for a long time in
practice.
-One play in a game like this can make the difference…
-One play.
-One drive.
-OMG.
Don’t fumble!
-That 2nd quarter drive should
have resulted in points
-I knew that fumble was a disaster
-Holtz has gone on record and said that last 5 minutes of
the 2nd quarter and the first 5 of the 3rd are the most
important of the game…
-I agree.
-A score late in the 2nd would have changed the
complexion and emotion of the game.
-Instead, Sparty goes into the locker room with confidence.
-Is Harbaugh drinking at half-time?
-Or pre-game for that matter?
-Michigan scored in the 3rd quarter
-Now I’m wet
-How did we forget to take ponchos?
-Now I’m soaked
-And Michigan is passing…
-To Sparty
-Multiple times.
-And the Defense Holds
-EVERY TIME
-RUN THE DAMN BALL!
-What are you doing???
-This was officially my last night game….
-Too late, too tired, too cold, too old…
-I’m
a fan, but I would have rather had $500 in my pocket sitting on my couch…
-I’m gone…
-Monday Note: I
amaze myself with how fast I can bang out 2,500 words on a Monday morning…
-I’m not that efficient in any other aspect of my life
THE MMQ’s “I DON’T NEED A COMMITTEE!”
Will return when the Committee makes their first ranking!
The Hot Seat
Still looking for Hot Coach’s wives suggestions!
This week, University of Central Florida Lane Kiffin’s wife
gets the nod!
ZAPPED
List
We’ll keep track of who’s gone as the season progresses….
- “Holier than Thou” Hugh
Freeze
Electric
Chair of Death Seat!
- Riley - Nebraska. As the great Corso says, “Lose
at home and it’s okay. Getting
BLOWN OUT at home is a recipe for disaster…”.
The Hot Seat
1. Fedora
– UNC Not even close
against the Domers....
2. Mullen
– uh oh. But he’ll
get a job somewhere else. Too good of a
coach.
3. Sumlin:
Still needs a big Win.
4. Bret Bielema: Brett lucky to have Jeff Long as his AD. Long has a lot of patience….
5. Odom– Mizzou. Luckily he’s a grad. Might survive a bad season.
6. McElwain Losing to a team that lost to a Sun Belt school
is not a good look…
7. Ogeron
-LSU That was a big win in the Swamp. Saved him for the time being.
8. Mulzahn
9. Rich Rod
10.
Graham
Etc.
1. Oklahoma more or less owns schadenfreude
3. But
Michigan got a mention…
4. Happy Speight
is out?
5. I’m not
Isn't our O-Line experienced and suppose to be dominate... So disappointing!! Don Brown's Defense are doing their Jobs!
ReplyDeleteIsn't our O-Line experienced and suppose to be dominate... So disappointing!! Don Brown's Defense are doing their Jobs!
ReplyDelete